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MMMMonday! Personal assumptions.

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Today, in the spirit of (and inspired by) Shakesville's questions of the day: What are some erroneous assumptions people make about you? Why do you think the assumptions are made? Do they bother you? Are those assumptions ever an asset? We'd just like to get some discussion going in comments, so if you're moved to, hop on in!

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People assume I'm younger than I actually am. I'll be 30 in a few months and regularly get mistaken for being in my early 20s. I hated looking younger when I was growing up, now it kind of amuses me.

Along the same lines, people assume that I'm sweet and innocent. There was a point in my life that I definitely saw this as an asset and actively played up the sweet and innocent thing. I could get away with a lot. I get it a little less these days, but it still happens. It sometimes bothers me, but it's also sometimes fun to shock people.

People assume all sorts of things when they find out that I live with my parents and don't have a job. The truth--that I'm on disability for mental illness--usually brings a whole new set of assumptions.

Something abouty expression makes it so I get the "sweet and innocent" thing regularly. So much so that for a girls night (was our tradition for birthdays to get smart ass pins) they handed me the "I only LOOK sweet and innocent" pin.

Was interesting when I started working in a factory as the guys tiptoed around me for weeks because I'm female and read as sweet/innocent. Luckily they got past that and started treating me more as a person. Or in a few cases "like one of the guys."

They still try to shock me but nowadays I'm pretty unflappable so that severely lessens their amusement.